Avocados

Hi, I being told that to plantavacados seeds that we buy at the store is wasting time because those a avocados are "hybrids " and they never will produce fruit, its true or not?, any advice to plant a seed and make sure in a few year I can eat avocados from my yard. Thanks very much.

My advice is to not try rooting an avocado seed and planting it if your intention is to get food. This process will take many years and there is no guarantee that the plant will ever bear fruit. In addition, even if it does bear fruit, it may not be true to type.

Your best bet in getting a harvest in a few years would be to purchase at least 2 plants that were grafted by a nursery. Rather than many plants that are male and female, avocados have type A and type B varieties which when paired and planted near each other greatly enhance pollination. This will maximize yields.

I see that you are in a growing zone that is very favorable
to avocados. The seeds from avocados that are purchased at the store can
produce fruit when planted in the right conditions.

It may take several years for the tree to mature so that it
is capable of producing fruit but it can produce fruit. To increase the odds of your store bought
avocado seed to set fruit, plant two of them.
The flowers on avocado trees are listed as A flowers which open in the
morning and B flowers which open in the afternoon.

The biggest disadvantage to growing your own Avocado from seed is time.It could take 8 – 20 years from time of planting to time of being able to produce fruit if it is grown in very favorable conditions. Most amateur gardeners do not want to wait that long.

Pollination can occur when the pollen released from one set
of Avocado flowers is received by the flowers from another Avocado tree with
their female parts open and ready to receive the pollen. In most situations,
the bees carry the pollen from a type A tree to a type B tree.

Avocados are usually not self-pollinated, because the male
and female parts are not open at the same time. In some climates, avocados may
self pollinate from the wind. This can happen in the conditions found in south
Florida or south Texas, but usually do not occur in California.

However, avocado trees currently grown at nurseries are
listed as A B trees that are able to self- pollinate by having the opening of
the A & B flower overlap, thus extending the pollination period, but having
a second tree is always an advantage.

The most common Avocado found at your local supermarkets are
the Haas Avocado. The have a great shelf
life which is why they are a popular choice for many supermarkets to carry.

There are other varieties that you may also find at many
Farmers Markets, which include the “Pinkerton" and "Gwen", which
traditionally have produced the “A” flowers as well as the “Fuerte,"
"Bacon" and "Zutano" varieties of Avocados which produce
the “B” flowers.

The odds of a seed you planted, growing up and producing
fruit, are not in your favor, according to the California Avocado Commission,
but you can always go to your local Home Depot and buy a small Avocado tree
just to have to be assured you will have avocados.

Many people in South Florida have had good success growing
avocado trees from seed and having them produce fruit. If you have the patience, give it a go.

Keep in mind that there are numerous varieties of avocados
that will produce in different climates and at different times of the year.
The Mexican variety avocados like the Duke, Topa topa, Mexicola, Zutano,
Bacon have the most cold tolerance of all the avocados at 25°F. Below this temperature,
even these cold tolerant trees can suffer damage to the fruit and even to the
tree.

Please let us know how your project turns out and share the
pictures with us at: